The Lumos In His Shadows
by brantini
Summary: The First Wizarding War had been fought in the shadows of the Muggle world, and the seeds of this destructive conflict were sown long ago, when a courageous young girl dared to lose her heart to an ambitious young boy. No one is born evil. So just what was it that Tom Riddle was forced to sacrifice and encounter that fiercely burdened him with such rage and hatred? Tragedy.
1. Prologue

Here, as promised, a revised _Prologue_. This is official!

Sorry for taking this long. Major changes have been made, finally!

Disclaimer: _Don't own anything! All belongs to our epic Queen!_

**I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did.**

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The wind breezed gently through the light woods and bushes, bringing the scent of grass and new happiness through the window as the birds sang and crickets cricketed. The living room was wide, messy like it has ways been, but newer from its last rebuilt.

Harry Potter leaned back, enjoying the newfound peace. For once in his life, Lord Voldemort and the welfare of the world are no longer in his conscious or subconscious mind. The presence of nature, of life, and of peace washed over him, welcoming him into this new world as if everything was reborn. In a sense, everything _was_ reborn.

Then Harry Potter twitched his ear, concentrating. He was sure he heard a beautiful voice. Very faint, but familiar. He kept his eyes closed and listened as the sound grew louder and louder, closer and closer.

"It's Fawkes, the phoenix." Hermione said with a gentle voice. Harry slowly opened his eyes.

Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat, holding Ron Weasley's hand tightly in hers. She looked as sharp and beautiful as ever. Her hair still wavy and bristle but tamed in a way. Her eyes searched out the window, scanning the sky looking for the fierce crimson bird.

Ron Weasley sat right next to his beautiful girl, gazing at her in the way that every girl wants to be looked at. He was sure that there is nothing more beautiful than Hermione Granger, _his_ Hermione Granger, not even the quarter-veela Fleur Delacour was a match for her. The battle wounds were still present on Ron Weasley's face, faint though. Hermione would make sure that they go away. After all, she doesn't want a man with such unpleasant scars, no matter how glorious they may be, it was terrible memories for the trio, memories of Lord Voldemort. They could wish for nothing better but for it to vanish completely.

"What is he doing here?" Harry Potter asked curiously with a kind grin, meeting his gaze with Ginny Weasley's.

The ginger girl smiled sweetly and leaned towards Harry, planting a sweet kiss on Harry's soft lips. Much to Harry's delight, Ron groaned quietly in his throat and pretended not to notice.

Then gracefully and swiftly, the large bird flew through an open window into the Burrow and landed on the small table between the two couples. It gently purred in a bird-like way in acknowledgement to the four and looked at each and one of them sternly.

"Hello Fawkes, long time no see." Harry smiled and held out a hand to touch its majestic feathers. The bird leaned into Harry's gentle touch and groaned a little more.

Then from his claws, Fawkes unwrapped and revealed a small phial with silver liquid in it. Harry took it and right as the phial left its claws, Fawkes extended his muscular wings and flew out the window.

He was never to be seen again.

"It's a memory." Hermione said definitely after a long while of staring.

"From who?" A typical Ron Weasley question.

"Dumbledore." Harry smiled as the old man's name flooded his heart with warmth. He was truly a spontaneous man, full of secrets. Managing such surprises for the trio even so long after his death.

"We will need a Pensieve." Hermione said with her brows slowly sinking together, "We don't have one."

Harry's smile widened. Even after so much, Hermione was still Hermione, worrying about everything.

"Hogwarts have one, I'm sure McGonagall would let us use it."

The trio walked into the Headmaster's office one after another with a nervous but curious heart. They greeted their old professor with warmth and excitement and were left alone with the Pensieve.

The office was the same, noting really changed since Severus Snape last occupied it, except for the addition of the two latest Headmaster portraits; Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore, two of which appeared to be sleeping.

Harry smiled and walked straight towards the Pensieve. Thinking that he should watch the memory first before consulting with the professor, and he was right. Before going in, the trio gave each other a stern look, their hearts pounding. Then they sank in, holding hands feeling like old times. The familiar falling sensation attacked them before reaching the ground with smudged surroundings.

It was loud with uncontrollable chatters. And as their surroundings settles, they realized that they were in the Great Hall, staring right into Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes. Though the professor was not in his usual Headmaster chair.

It was the beginning of the school year feast where the first years are sorted. But when was this, they had no idea. Thought it must have been years before their current time, for Dumbledore appeared to be quite young with solid brown hair.

"Look!" Hermione whispered with a surprised and startled voice, her arm and index finger extended pointing at the Slytherin table, "is that Tom Riddle?"

At the sound of that evil name, Harry and Ron whipped their head towards Hermione's direction and spotted the handsome boy immediately. Indeed it was Tom Riddle, smiling politely in a conversation with an equally handsome boy with silver hair.

"Malfoy." Harry sounded with a statement. He found the boys surrounding Riddle exceptionally familiar.

"What is this?" Ron Weasley asked, seriously confused, "if Voldemort was already sorted, then what are we here for?"

Harry shook his head, not knowing the answer. He scanned the faculty table and suddenly realized where he'd seen the boys when he glanced over the young, still rounded Slughorn.

"They are Riddle's gangs, those boys. I saw them in one of Slughorn's memories." Harry recalled. They appeared in the memory about Horcruxes, there was Lestrange and Avery and Mulciber and a handful of other boys that were unnamed. "What is this?" Harry repeated with a whisper.

Then the huge doors swung open and the Great Hall cheered loudly in the welcoming of their new first year. Harry could hear Riddle's gang member shouting and whistling very loudly. One of their own was getting sorted today.

_Little did the trio know how important this memory is, little did they know the impact it would have on them, and little did they know another adventure was waiting for them in the near future. And as for now, they will just stand and watch, watch how the story unfolds, watch how the future happens, and watch how their world was changed. For better or for worse? That's up for them to decide after the credits. Every story has not just two, but countless sides, told by each and every characters in the story. Different views bring different feelings and different reasons, and this perspective is going to change their state of mind completely. _

_Personally, I, who is merely a recorder of the story, wouldn't consider this a _gift_ from Dumbledore at all, quite the opposite really. But that's up for you and the trio to decide as well. _

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What did you think?

Lots of efforts of creativity has been put in this.

**Please review and let me know your thoughts! **


	2. Author's Note

**The New Official Version Of _Prologue_ Has Been Posted As '_Prologue'_!**

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**AUTHORS NOTE**

Hello my fellow readers. I know I haven't updated my story at all like I said I would.

Well, first, I won NaNoWriMo! CHEERS! Yup.

Second, I've been thinking on to start really updating my finished story The Lumos In His Shadows.

However, as I went through the first few chapters of the story, I realized that there is MUCH to edit.

I wrote the story following Ian Fleming's writing style, described in the passage that Fleming wrote in the _Books and Bookmen_ magazine on May 1963: "I write for about three hours in the morning ... and I do another hour's work between six and seven in the evening. I never correct anything and I never go back to see what I have written ... By following my formula, you write 2,000 words a day."

So that's what I did, and never went back to the stuff that I wrote. And as one can expect, there is quite a few mistakes, wordiness, and unclear ideas, needless to say bad grammar and voice and all that.

Considering all of that, though I am proud of my achievement of more than 60,000 words for NaNoWriMo, I am nowhere near satisfied. It's not my standard literature work, and I hope to revise it to quality level.

I will definitely look through it over winter break and hope to continue updating by February. So please look out for it!

Lastly, I really did enjoy writing this project and really did put thought in connecting the events in the HP series to my 'Prologue' work. You'll find the connections!

Personally, I am quite proud of this and I know it's a good fanfic. So I hope you guys will be patient and keep yourself hungry! It's good, I promise!

Thank you!

And Happy Christmas.


	3. Author's Note 2

**The New Official Version Of _Prologue_ Has Been Posted As '_Prologue'_!**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

My lovely anticipators, hello again.

Sadly, this is ANOTHER author's note, I do very sincerely apologize!

After some long cold hard thoughts about my story, I've decided to completely rewrite the first chapter and revise most of the second chapter, both of which are already posted here _together_ under one article as 'Chapter 1'.

It's been a long—believe me when I say long—dark thought process and I must give credit to two of my dearest friends, Sarah and Phillip for cheering me on and providing me with inspirations of which I took from and built upon.

I understand that I said I'd start posting in February, but as of now, my story is nowhere near completion. I've got so much thoughtful and—most definitely—amazingly connected events that I want to put in here. Well, you know what they say about good stories right? It takes time and I do sincerely apologize!

I will rewrite chapter 1, which will officially be the 'Prologue', as soon as possible, and I hope that I can post the new version SOON! Also, I've decided to keep this story AS CANNON AS POSSIBLE like I've said on my last author's note; cannon in not only Rowling's official Harry Potter world but also the events that went on in the real Muggle world. After all, events that happens in the two worlds—as the Queen has already said—commingles, affects, and effects each other. That being said, I've decided to take out those original/non-cannon characters, all except Vesper. She can't go, she's quite important wouldn't you say? Anyway, the list consists of…

Vulcan Fidele

Alex Ludique

Dean Utile Comprennent

Pannawind Boorman

There, I think that's all the non-cannon characters with the exception of Vesper Malfoy. Be prepared of _major_ changes in chapter 1 too. (The sorting ceremony) As of now, I absolutely _hate_ that chapter. It lacks…originality, creativity, and…well, just the feeling overall, the milieu is not right and I hope in the very near future, after my rewritten Prologue, that I will be able to suspend the non-cannons and revise it to a satisfactory level. So bear with me here!

Lastly, I know there are some mistakes and major changes here in my story and I am genuinely sorry! Very little—trust me, _exceptionally_ little—information is given of the Riddle-era. Heck we don't even know Lestrange's first name, needless to say the professors and the Quidditch team. I'm doing my best and I've mingled with the people, especially the generations of the Black family. Sorry to those who are cannon-freaks, like me. Although, the ships in here are all CANON! I made sure of that at least; so their age and generation might be altered, but their spouses are all canon and legit, remember that! I am keeping a list of major changes and disclaimers as I continue to progress with the story and I will most definitely include them when I start to post. I hope that it'll provide some comfort to those deeply wounded by my major alternations! Like I said, I'm doing the best I can!

Please, _say thirsty my friends_. You won't regret I promise!

Also, any interested Beta-readers for my story, feel free to contact/PM me!

Thank you, and have an amazing day Potterheads.

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**The New Official Version Of _Prologue_ Has Been Posted As '_Prologue'_!**


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